Jip Jip Rocks 2007 Shiraz

Fitting this picture was taken on our back deck as it suited our Fajita-Que nicely. For the layperson, a Fajita-Que is a spicy alternative to burgers and brats on the grill. Tonight I finished the bottle and it worked well with blackened salmon. In other words, a great cheap wine for spicy food. I highly recomend this for pleasing the masses at your next BBQ (fajita or burger!)

I found this shiraz on the "Highly Rated Wines for Under $15" table at Total wines coming in just under the max at $14.99. The Jip Jip Rocks are a real location in remote southern Australia on the Limestone Coast.

Lifted spice and ripe mulberry/blackberry aromas are complimented with chocolate, cedar and cinnamon on the nose. Well integrated oak tannin provides flavors of clove and supple texture which supports the rich plum, blackberry and mocha. The overall structure is supple and generous with fine-grained tannin on the finish enveloped with ripe fruit overtones.

90 pts - Wine Advocate (Feb. 09)

They said it best. I'll only add that the Jip Jip Shiraz has a nice sweet jammy finish. 8/10 rating.

Courtney Benham 2006 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

I was quite excited when I received this bottle as a gift and saw the relationship to Stag's Leap. With Stag grapes and a name this long, it must be great, right? Unfortunately my expectations were too high as this turned out to be a very average wine. It wasn't bad, I just think you can do better. It's also great to note that my wife was finally able to enjoy a small glass now that she's in the 2nd trimester of her pregnancy (boy due around xmas).

The dark purple color was the first thing I noticed as I poured two glasses Floral on the nose and a bit tart on the tounge. The licorice flavor really stood out to me (as I'm not a fan of black licorice and question the sanity of those who are). Dark cherries and blackberries also chimed in for a nice rounded mouthful of flavors. Pepper, tannins, and mild-dryness on the finish.

If I was to guess the price based on flavor, I'd put it around $14...and would have been pretty satisfied. Upon a bit of Internet research, it actually price out closer to $30...which leaves us with an unimpressed 4/10 rating for this overpriced wine.

Oak Ridge 2005 Gnarled Vines Zinfandel

Hailing from Lodi, California, this wine of the week was found at Total Wine on their "High Rated Wines for Under $15" table. At $7.99, this is one of the least expensive zinfandels I've reviewed.

It's too sweet and sugary for my zin-loving palate. Also, it's doesn't have the big, bold flavors I expect in a good zinfandel. Total Wine: take this off the table, as it's no longer high rated: 3.5/10 rating. Good news in the price, bad news in the taste. We'll see if it opens up more on night two.

Fetzer Pinot Noir - 2007

Expensive communion wine. Basically a $9.99 bottle of grape fruit juice. Very sweet. Major vineyard producing for the masses, I suppose. Picked this up at the local grocery store (Harris Teeter) on an endcap. 2/10 rating as I'll probably drink it...I save the 1's for the wines that go down the drain immediately.

My apologies for missing the weekly wine review last week...busy with the BBQ and beers. Tough to drink wine while boating/grilling/in pools/etc. Just sayin'. Wine in a can? I'd review it.

Update: this wine got worse by the hour. Hardly drinkable on day two and down the drain on day three. Knock 'er down to 1/10 rating. Avoid it.